


Hot Springs and Cold Cider

by imaginary_golux



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 12:12:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13763904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: Kel and Dom finally have a bit of a vacation.Beta by my Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.





	Hot Springs and Cold Cider

“So the nice thing about this town,” Dom says, grinning, “is that it has hot springs.”

Kel’s eyes widen. “It _does_? I haven’t had a soak in a hot spring since Yaman.”

Dom laughs delightedly, and leaves her to see about getting the horses stabled while he goes off to bespeak them rooms - and, Kel learns when he gets back, the key to the room where one of the smallest hot springs bubbles, a private little space meant for two.

“Also cider,” he says cheerfully, brandishing the bottle, and Kel grins and follows him towards the cluster of buildings that marks the hot springs.

There’s a little room to sluice off the trail-dust, for which Kel is grateful, and then an attendant hands her a heap of enormous fluffy towels and she wraps one around herself and heads for the spring that Dom has reserved. He’s already there, dipping a toe in and grinning proudly.

“One hot bath, ready and waiting,” he says merrily.

Kel is used to the hot springs in Yaman, where no one much cares if men and women share a bath; she drops her towel and slides blissfully into the hot water, and only once she’s settled does she look up to see Dom’s astonished face above her.

“I honestly thought you were going to have issues with the naked-bathing part of this experience,” he says.

“You’ve never been to Yaman,” Kel says, and Dom laughs.

“This is true,” he says, and drops his own towel, and slides into the water beside her with a long sigh of contentment. “ _Oh_ , that’s nice.”

“Yes,” Kel agrees, and closes her eyes, resting her head on the lip of the pool, and basks in the heat. Muscles she didn’t even know she _had_ are relaxing. This is glorious, and she never wants to get out. Beside her, Dom has stretched out his legs and is making occasional quiet noises of happiness.

She’s not quite sure how long it’s been when Dom says, “Oh!” and squirms around. Kel opens her eyes to see him sprawled half over the lip of the pool, reaching for the bottle of cider; he nabs it with a noise of triumph and slides back into the water. “Here,” he says, uncorking it and handing it over.

Kel takes a long drink, and the cool cider and the warmth of the pool combine to make her sigh in pleasure. “ _Very_ nice,” she says, handing it back with a grin. “You do realize you’ve just gotten yourself on the hook to plan _all_ our vacations from now on.”

Dom’s grin is wide and crooked and joyful. “It will be my pleasure, lady knight,” he says, and then, eyes glinting, “Especially if it means you’ll actually _take_ them.”

Kel wrinkles her nose at the trap. “Sneaky,” she accuses.

“Strategic,” Dom corrects her. “I’ve been taking lessons on Kel-wrangling from milord.”

Kel shakes her head. “You are _incorrigible_ ,” she says. “And so is he. Kel-wrangling isn’t a thing.”

Dom raises an eyebrow. “Of course not,” he says, clearly lying through his teeth. “We _definitely_ don’t have monthly meetings whenever we’re all in the same place. Certainly not.”

Kel puts a hand over her face, giggling helplessly. “I don’t want to know,” she says. “I just - don’t want to know.”

“Have some more cider,” Dom suggests. “And go back to basking. We’re supposed to be _relaxing_ , here, after all.”

“Ridiculous man,” Kel says fondly, and has another drink of cider, and slips down until she’s neck-deep in the water and leaning comfortably against Dom’s shoulder. He turns his head to kiss her forehead, and Kel closes her eyes and smiles. Kel-wrangling. Ridiculous, _delightful_ man.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 21 of the February Ficlet Challenge.
> 
> I am imaginarygolux on tumblr.


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